Mark Rosen retiring after 50 years at WCCO-TV

The illustrious career of long-time Minnesota sports reporter Mark Rosen is coming to an end.

WCCO-TV announced Monday night that Rosen will retire in April after covering the NCAA men's basketball Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium. His departure will come 50 years to the month that he began working for WCCO as a high school junior in 1969.

"My book said it best, I've had the best seat in the house for so many years. I'm thankful for the opportunity and the trust of Minnesota's die-hard sports fans," Rosen says in the press release.

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"You know I'd do anything to get out of going to the State Fair," Rosen joked during Monday's 10 p.m. newscast. "It's numbing to think about, my entire adult life I've spent here (WCCO-TV studios) at night."

Rosen's wife, Denise Rosen, recently underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor. He took time off to help care for her and only recently returned to his spot on the anchor desk at WCCO.

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"Thinking a lot about my wife tonight, Denise, and that's the driving force behind my life and that's what matters to me at this moment," he said.

Rosen was inducted in the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2013 and said the highlight of his career was covering the "Miracle on Ice" with the 1980 U.S. men's olympic hockey team.